Trump announces $5,000 payment to US citizens if GOP wins midterms

A massive 5,000-US-dollar payment to households is announced by US President Donald Trump on the explicit condition the Republicans win the midterm elections in November.

This while White House official confirms these payments are separate from the 500-dollar Obamacare refunds proposed for nearly a million Americans.

At the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Donald Trump dangles the multi-trillion-dollar giveaway and likens them to corporate dividends, while imploring the crowd to save the GOP's majorities in Congress.

Trump says: "If we win midterms, we will, on the other hand, provide a - let's call it Trump dividend, 5,000 dollars for every adult citizen in our country. You got do me a big, the biggest favour you've ever done me. You've got to do this for me, you've got pretend I'm on the ticket."

The plan follows his previous idea of a 2,000-dollar dividend that will not require Congress's approval as the administration grapples with an annual federal budget deficit of nearly 1.8 trillion dollars.

At one point, Trump asks attendees to raise their right hands to swear they're going to vote on November 3rd and before that date.

He warns people are going to "hell" if they don't vote.

The president goes on to boast the size of the his crowd in the American Airlines Center, claiming the highest rafter, the upper ring, and even the "rich people boxes" are all filled.

This despite the Associated Press report that nearly the entire upper deck is empty.

Trump wraps up his address with a final plea: "Go out and vote."

Balloons fall as an opera performer belts out a soaring rendition of "America the Beautiful," which marks the end of the two-day convention.

The promise of "Trump dividend" has ignited fierce backlash.

Texas Democrats have been quick to call the proposal unvarnished illusion and frame it as an unworkable strain on the country's finances.

Representative Madeleine Dean says: "I don't say this proudly. He's not well, he is delusional."

Representative Robert Garcia says: "Look, Donald Trump is a known liar. This is the the biggest liar to ever serve in government. Period. And look, the dividend is not happening. He promised a dividend on the tariffs. That didn't happen. What the American people want is the president to actually focus on lowering their costs of gas, groceries and expand health care. The president has done the opposite."

California Governor Gavin Newsom says on Thursday he's actually looking forward to the 5,000-dollar cheque. "It's a sort of pathetic and sad, the same, pathetic...He has to go in front of people and basically bribe them. I mean, that's how desperate he is, holding a lot of power."